Playa Mujeres – Relaxing Getaway

A detailed look at our accessible, all-inclusive getaway to Playa Mujeres—from the flight and arrival to the resort experience, activities, and trip home.

Kathy and I spent a lot of time researching accessible all-inclusive resorts near Cancun before finally choosing Excellence Playa Mujeres. We liked that it sits outside the busy Cancun hotel zone and consistently has beautiful weather.

To confirm accessibility, we each reached out to the resort directly. Kathy called in Spanish, which helped remove any communication barriers. The staff assured us that the resort offered a wheelchair-accessible pool with a ramp and that our room would include a true roll-in shower.

We booked a one-week trip from Minneapolis—and ended up arriving on our first dating anniversary, which made the getaway even more special.

I booked our flights with Delta through the Chase Travel portal, using points to offset most of the cost. After points, we paid only about $220 in taxes and fees to upgrade to Delta Comfort, which gave us a bit more space and an overall smoother experience.

Because I travel with a power wheelchair, I made sure to request wheelchair assistance and pre-boarding well in advance. This included noting that I would need an aisle chair, help transferring into my seat, and that Delta should follow the standard procedures for securing and storing a power chair. I also double-checked that my wheelchair’s battery type (gel cell) was correctly documented to avoid any issues at check-in.

The night before the trip, Kathy and I prepped the chair by setting up my AbleSling travel sling, which makes transfers during air travel much smoother and more seamless.

For a step-by-step breakdown of the entire flying process, check out my guide on Wheelchair Air Travel.

As I explained in my Wheelchair Air Travel Guide, passengers who need assistance typically deplane last. Kathy and I waited while everyone else exited, which took around 20–25 minutes. During that time, airport staff went to retrieve my wheelchair from the cargo hold.

When the staff arrived with the aisle chair, they told me my wheelchair was already waiting at the aircraft door. After transferring into the aisle chair and making my way toward the exit, I looked out and saw only a manual wheelchair. Confused, I asked where my power chair was—only to be told it had been sent to baggage claim. That is not how it’s supposed to work. Because the flight originated in the United States, my wheelchair should have been brought directly to the aircraft door.

Fortunately, the staff escorted Kathy and me through customs, where we were able to use the accessibility line. This was a huge relief because the regular line was packed wall-to-wall.

After a short trip to baggage claim, I spotted my wheelchair off to the side and immediately felt relieved. They transferred me back into it, and then Kathy and I grabbed our luggage and headed outside to meet our driver.

We booked our airport transfer through Cancun Accesible, a local accessible travel company that offers transportation, tours, and equipment rentals. It took less than 30 seconds to spot our driver. He immediately grabbed our luggage and loaded everything for us—something we both appreciated. Since I’m not able to help with lifting or carrying, I always do my best to accept assistance when it’s offered. It takes some of the load off Kathy, and being able to afford accessible services like this makes the whole experience much easier.

The resort is about a 40–50 minute drive north of Cancun International Airport. The accessible van was comfortable and spacious, giving both Kathy and me plenty of room to relax during the ride. Once we arrived, our driver helped unload our bags, assisted me out of the van, and unloaded the Hoyer lift we had rented (more on that in the next section).

As mentioned earlier, we used Cancun Accesible not only for our airport transfer but also to rent a Hoyer lift for the week. The rental process was simple—their website includes a straightforward request form, and they coordinate delivery directly to your hotel.

When our driver met us at the airport, the Hoyer lift was already loaded in the van. This was a huge relief because it confirmed the rental was secured and saved their team an extra trip to the resort.

Overall, Cancun Accesible was incredibly easy to work with, and I would absolutely use them again on any future trips to the Cancun area.

When we arrived, our driver and the hotel staff quickly unloaded our luggage and brought everything inside. It didn’t take me long to roll down the van’s ramp and into the resort lobby. As soon as we walked in, we were offered champagne—Kathy enjoyed it, but I passed since I don’t drink.

A staff member was available to check us in almost immediately. The process was fast, and overall, it made for a great first impression. When we were handed our room keys, I made sure to reconfirm that we were assigned an accessible room with a roll-in shower. The staff member assured us that everything was set.

One of the bellhops then guided us to our room, bringing our luggage with us. He walked us through the resort layout and highlighted what we could expect during our stay. The property was beautiful, and we were excited for a week of relaxation.

When we reached our room, we noticed a ribbon across the door that read “It’s Our Anniversary”—a thoughtful and fun surprise.

Unfortunately, as soon as we entered the room, I looked into the bathroom and immediately saw a 5-inch step leading into the shower. My stomach dropped. I was frustrated and worried—I rely completely on a roll-in shower to bathe safely, and this setup simply wouldn’t work.

The bellhop was incredibly apologetic and offered to call the front desk. Over the next several minutes, I spoke with multiple staff members, including a manager. I explained that both Kathy and I had called ahead to verify accessibility, and that the woman who checked us in also confirmed the room had a roll-in shower. Instead of acknowledging the mistake, the manager insisted that no one would have told me that. Being dismissed and essentially accused of lying after doing everything correctly was extremely upsetting. If I didn’t need a roll-in shower, I wouldn’t have spent all that time confirming it—I have nothing to gain by making something like that up.

On the positive side, the bed in the room did have enough clearance underneath for my Hoyer lift, which was one less problem to worry about.

As we worked through the situation, the staff told us that every room with a roll-in shower was occupied and that they were unable to move anyone. That wasn’t a solution for us. I wasn’t willing to accept being unable to shower for an entire week.

I continued pushing for options and suggested potential workarounds—including the idea of creating a small wooden ramp to bridge the step into the shower. It wasn’t ideal and certainly not perfect from a safety standpoint, but it was something.

After about an hour, the resort’s maintenance manager arrived with a custom wooden ramp he had just built. They placed it over the step, and thankfully, it provided a gentle enough slope that I felt confident I could make it work.

The whole situation was extremely disappointing, especially after a long day of travel. We ended up spending roughly our first three hours at the resort dealing with this instead of relaxing.

Once everything was sorted out, I told Kathy we should put it behind us and focus on enjoying the rest of our trip. And we did—we made it work, and despite the rocky start, we ended up having an amazing stay.

Before our trip, we had called the resort to confirm accessibility and were told that the pool featured a step-free ramp, allowing me to enter easily. However, when we arrived and walked around the pool area, we couldn’t find a ramp or lift. We checked with the concierge and were disappointed to learn that there was, in fact, no accessible way to get into the pool—despite what we had been told in advance.

Even so, I made the most of my time soaking up the sun by the pool throughout the week. Hotel staff regularly checked in every 20–30 minutes, offering drinks and snacks. Kathy enjoyed her margaritas, while I sipped on refreshing mocktail mojitos. The service was excellent, and the staff were friendly and attentive.

I also brought my Kindle, which was perfect for relaxing by the pool. I had preloaded several books ahead of time and enjoyed reading in the warm sun—a welcome change after enduring long Minnesota winters.

The resort offers several dining options throughout the property. We didn’t try every restaurant, mainly because some of the cuisines weren’t to our taste. Each morning, however, we visited the breakfast buffet, which had a solid variety of options—including traditional American breakfast items, made-to-order omelets, Mexican dishes, fresh fruit, yogurt, and fresh juices.

The resort also offers 24/7 room service, which we definitely took advantage of more than once. In the top-left photo, you’ll see a large breakfast spread we had delivered to our room and enjoyed on the balcony.

One of our favorite spots—though not pictured—was the coffee shop. It offered grab-and-go snacks and sandwiches, donuts and other baked goods, as well as fresh ice cream served on the spot. We usually stopped in a couple of times each day for an iced espresso and ice cream to cool off.

Overall, the food was decent. Some restaurants stood out more than others, but nothing truly wowed us. Our favorites were the Asian restaurant and the breakfast buffet.

There were several night shows throughout the week of our stay. One highlight was a Mexican-themed dinner paired with a live show. It was especially fun because earlier in the week we had met the chef, who had traveled from Mexico City specifically for this event. Kathy and the chef ended up having a long conversation, as some of Kathy’s family lives in Mexico City, which made the experience even more meaningful.

Later in the week, we attended a nighttime show in the resort theater. After we found our seats, staff quickly came over and asked if I’d like a virgin mojito and if Kathy wanted a strawberry margarita—drinks we had ordered multiple times during the week. It was such a thoughtful surprise and made us feel well taken care of.

The show itself was a blast, featuring lots of energetic dancing and music, and was a great way to wrap up the evening.

During our stay, the resort hosted a silent disco on two separate nights. A limited number of wireless headphones were available, each offering four different music channels to choose from. Resort event staff were also dressed up and dancing, adding to the fun atmosphere.

Kathy and I had never experienced a silent disco before, but it ended up being a surprisingly fun and memorable part of our trip.

It was easy for me to get around the resort. Most of the paths are flat and paved. There was a small section by the pool that had small gaps between the cement blocks, but it was still passable for me. There is a steep path down to the restaurant by the beach that I had to tilt my chair upwards prior to driving down.

As I mentioned earlier, there is no accessible entrance to the pool via a ramp nor lift. There is also no path to the beach itself, which was unfortunate.

Overall, I was able to get to every restaurant and easily traveled around the resort.

Kathy and I packed up early in the morning and grabbed breakfast before our taxi arrived to take us to the airport. Checkout itself was quick and straightforward. However, when staff asked if we would return, I was honest and said no—due to the accessibility issues and being misled during our stay. They suggested that a “free upgrade” on a future visit would make things right, which only added to my frustration. I left feeling upset and deeply disappointed.

Shortly after, our taxi arrived and we loaded up quickly. The ride to the airport was smooth and uneventful.

Navigating the airport and security was relatively easy. The only delay was a brief wait for an agent to complete a pat-down, as the airport was especially busy at the time.

When we reached our gate, we noticed a sign stating that gate assignments were changing and that ours might be moved. Not long after, an announcement confirmed the change, and we headed to the new gate. That’s when the real challenges began.

At the desk, staff informed us that boarding would take place on the tarmac rather than at the gate. To make matters worse, the elevator at that gate was out of service. We were told we would need to go to a different elevator farther away, take a bus to the plane, and then I would be transferred to an aisle chair and physically carried up the stairs into the aircraft.

As if that wasn’t enough, I was also told I would need to sign a liability waiver—one that removed responsibility from both the staff and the airline if anything were to happen to me during the process.

Because Kathy is fluent in Spanish, I relied heavily on her to communicate with the staff. We were both incredibly frustrated and upset. We asked if there were any alternatives, and the only option offered was to take a later flight and hope the same situation didn’t occur. They provided standby vouchers, which did not guarantee seats—only the possibility of flying if seats became available.

We returned to the desk at the new gate, where staff told us the only available seats were not next to each other. This posed a serious safety issue for me. I don’t have the strength to brace myself during landing, and without Kathy beside me, I would likely fall forward and hit the seat in front of me when the plane brakes.

After strongly advocating for my needs, we were finally able to secure seats next to each other. By then, the flight was already about 15 minutes delayed. Thankfully, we were able to board and make it home safely.

It was an exhausting and eye-opening experience—one that highlights just how much work still needs to be done when it comes to truly accessible travel.

Overall, Kathy and I truly enjoyed our vacation in Playa Mujeres. It was our first international trip together, and I’m incredibly grateful for Kathy’s patience and her ability to find the positive in every situation. This experience taught us a lot—especially about the importance of ensuring my accessibility needs are clearly met, and how essential it is to advocate for those needs in the moment when they aren’t.

One of the biggest takeaways for future trips is the need to request detailed photos of the resort ahead of time, so we have clear, concrete proof of accessibility features rather than relying on descriptions alone.

We also loved the all-inclusive, laid-back style of vacation, which was especially welcome during the Minnesota winter. We definitely see ourselves staying at another all-inclusive in the future, and next time we may even add an excursion or two.